Thursday, March 28, 2024

Middle School Fall Sports During the Pandemic

Coronado Middle School’s front entrance on F Avenue.

With the ongoing pandemic, back to school will be very different this year. Students won’t be physically returning to school but middle school students will be able to return to some athletics with sports camps offered through Coronado’s middle school sports program. Incoming sixth-grader Grant Adams shared his excitement about the sports camps, “I can’t wait to play outside with my friends again. I won’t be able to see my friends in distance learning so this will be a great way to finally see everyone again.”

San Diego County health guidelines continue to limit many activities but youth sports camps gained state and county approval if they follow a strict safety protocol. The county health requirements presented an unexpected challenge for the new CMS Sports Athletic Director, Kristen Guymon. Kristen shared, “The most challenging part was making sure we stay within the guidelines for San Diego Youth Sports Health Protocols. But it’s also allowed me to be creative with a variety of activities to offer middle school students to keep them active and moving!”

Coronado’s middle school sports program is offering 10 different fall sports camps including baseball, biking, golf, recreation sports, running, softball, sports performance, tennis, volleyball, and yoga. Partnering with Hollands Bicycles, a new bike camp is offered where students will participate in both mountain biking and road biking while learning technical bike repair. Also new to the fall 2020 roster is a Recreation Sports camp which is a non-competitive option for students who want to participate in fun traditional playground games such as kickball and dodgeball. Unfortunately, Coronado beaches remain closed to any sports activities so beach volleyball is not available for the fall season. Camps will meet twice a week after school and run for eight weeks beginning in early September.

Coronado Middle School Cutler Field occupied by students playing games pre-pandemic.

Sports camps will follow all health and safety requirements including having students in stable groups of no more than 12 athletes, no food or water fountains, physical distancing, frequent cleaning, and all activities will be held outside. Parents and athletes also need to sign a form committing to follow all camp safety protocols.

ISF logoThe middle school sports program is part of the non-profit organization Islander Sports Foundation (ISF). ISF operates independently from the Coronado School District which enables the program to accept all interested middle school students regardless of which school they attend or primary residence.

Families interested in middle school fall sports should visit the ISF website at islandersportsfoundation.com/cms-fall-sports/
Online registration opens at 8 am on Friday, August 21 and closes 8 pm on Friday, September 4. Due to space restrictions, students will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Any questions should be sent to [email protected].


 



Chloe Berk
Chloe Berk
Chloe has called Coronado home since she could walk or talk and considers herself a true Islander. She is currently a student at Coronado High School and a writer for the Islander Times. After studying and writing articles, she enjoys volleyball, the beach, and her newly-adopted dogs from PAWS. Have news to share? Send tips, story ideas or letters to the editor to: [email protected]

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